Thursday, September 25, 2014

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In 2010, as our region’s culinary culture started shining brighter than ever before, The Santa Barbara Independent presented the inaugural Foodie Awards to celebrate the restaurants, chefs, servers, and others on the cutting edge of this epicurean explosion. In this week’s issue—and at a casual, open-to-the-public ceremony at the Wine Cask on Monday, September 29, at 5:30 p.m.—we present our Fifth Annual Foodie Awards to one dozen of these leaders. It also kicks off epicure.sb, the series of restaurant specials and food-focused events running through October. So please enjoy, and remember to tip your waiters!

By Paul Wellman

Ethnic Breads

Behind-the-Scenes Baker Award: Ethnic Breads

Recipes for cooking success don’t usually start with escaping a war zone, but that was the first step on Peter Zadeh’s journey to building his Ethnic Breads brand into the largest wholesale bakery in the tri counties.

In 1980, Zadeh sneaked out of native Iran as it waged war against Iraq. Upon making it to Toronto, Canada, he learned the bakery business from his uncle and then headed south to the San Fernando Valley, where he started baking flatbreads inspired by his Persian heritage. A personal delivery to Lazy Acres in 1990 opened his eyes to life outside of Los Angeles traffic. “The first day I delivered bread to Santa Barbara, I fell in love,” said Zadeh, who realized that the bustling tourism scene provided “a good market for gourmet fancy bread.”

So he founded Future Fine Foods on lower Anacapa Street (predating the Funk Zone food boom by a couple of decades), expanded his bread offerings, and made his first delivery of the new product to Joe’s Café in a brown paper bag. He eventually bought out the Ethnic Breads brand (as well as more recipes and clients) from Sheldon Kaganoff, a Jewish man originally from New York who still works with the Muslim Zadeh, as well as the Santa Barbara Bagel Company. For 18 years, they baked around the clock on De la Vina Street between Jedlicka’s Saddlery and the credit union on the corner of Alamar Street, sometimes having to fend off drunks who’d wander out of the now-defunct Art’s Bar in search of the bready aromas.

Today, with more than 120 restaurant and hotel accounts ​— ​including retail sales from the shelves of regional Whole Foods and Vons ​— ​Zadeh estimates he does 85 percent of the commercial baking in town, with about 30 different types of products available, from the rye bread slices on deli sandwiches to dinner rolls at white-tablecloth restaurants to multiple flavors of flatbread sold at specialty food stores. In the past year, he designed a brand-new bakery in a warehouse on Aero Camino near the airport in Goleta and moved out of the De la Vina Street location about eight months ago. This month, Ethnic Breads started selling direct to consumer for the first time out of the new spot, though Zadeh doesn’t want to become a full-blown café, à la Our Daily Bread and D’Angelo’s (the two other smaller wholesalers in town).

Paul Wellman

Ethnic Breads owner Peter Zadeh (left) and founder Sheldon Kaganoff

“My passion is the wholesale operation,” said Zadeh, who modifies recipes to translate Old World traditions into New World lifestyles (which often don’t involve eating bread the day it’s bought) without the use of preservatives. “I’ve been baking for 30 years now, but there’s still so much I don’t know,” said Zadeh, who slows down fermentation to extract more flavors. “Every day, my job is to improve my recipes and take my bakery to the next level.”

He also treats people with kindness, whether you’re one of his 18 employees or a random member of the community, such as the older woman who once called asking for challah bread to serve during a Jewish holiday. Zadeh didn’t make challah at that time but knew the recipe, so he whipped up a couple of loaves and gave them to her for free. A while later, a well-known restaurant owner called to set up an account, all because Zadeh had treated his grandmother so warmly that holiday.

Despite building an impressive empire, Zadeh looks at his success with humility and humor. One time, at a fancy food show, someone asked him what was so “ethnic” about his brand. “I’m a Muslim from Iran, my partner is a Jew from Brooklyn, my kitchen staff is all from Mexico, and we make the best Italian bread around,” Zadeh responded with a chuckle. “How’s that for ethnic?” (137 Aero Camino, Goleta; 569-9244; ethnicbreads.com)

Jen Villa File Photo

Agnes Guevara at Rose Café

“The Izzy” Lifetime Achievement Award: Rose Café

There is no traditional Mexican diner experience more authentic than Rose Café on Haley Street, where the Guevara family has reigned over enchiladas, refried beans, and chile relleno ever since then-dishwasher Agnes Guevara (now 97 years old) took over in the late 1940s. The dynasty was expanded to the Mesa in 1980 by Guevara’s son Manuel Barajas and grandkids Lalo and David, and both locations continue attracting crowds in search of warmth and tortillas. “We’ve seen at least three generations come in and watched their kids grow up and take their kids,” said Agnes’s daughter Anna Guevara, who’s been running the one on Haley Street since the mid-1970s. “I love the customers. They’re all so nice, and they feel like they’re home. It’s such a laid-back place.” (Downtown: 424 E. Haley St., 966-3773; Mesa: 1816 Cliff Dr., 965-5513; rosecafe2.com)

By Paul Wellman

Santa Barbara Public Market

Gutsy Game Changer Award: Santa Barbara Public Market

We usually wait for new establishments to be open at least one year before considering them for a Foodie Award, but that changed when 16 different purveyors of gourmet food and drink opened in April under the same roof at the Santa Barbara Public Market. “The community is really embracing us, but people are still learning how to use the market because it’s such a new concept,” said Marge Cafarelli, who developed this most ambitious food-minded move in city history and is happy to see people using grocery carts to pick up raviolis from The Pasta Shoppe, baked goods from Crazy Good Bread Company, fish from Santa Monica Seafood, and so forth. Six months in, her tenants ​— ​whom she meets with monthly ​— ​are altering their business plans to accommodate what people want, and she believes it will take at least a year for everything to “settle in.” To ensure that the market wouldn’t become just a food court, Cafarelli started three of the inside businesses herself: Wine + Beer (bar and alcohol retail), Foragers Pantry (grocery items), and Culture Counter (cheese and charcuterie). “Not only have we built this big project; we’re also invested in operating businesses, as well,” she said, admitting, “I would definitely qualify as the crazy foodie this year!” (38 W. Victoria St., 770-7702; sbpublicmarket.com)

Line Around the Corner Award: Cajun Kitchen

In 1984, a prep cook named Richard Jimenez bought a small restaurant on De la Vina Street. With barely any restaurant experience and no Southern heritage to speak of, Jimenez steadily spent the ensuing 30 years developing the Cajun Kitchen into Santa Barbara’s go-to diner, now with five locations. “It was just an opportunity that my dad stumbled upon, and it’s been awesome,” explained his son Juan Jimenez, who, along with his brother, Richard Jr., began giving the brand a bit of a “facelift” three years ago. His mom does the books, and 58-year-old dad “still makes the rounds,” said Juan, adding, “I don’t think he’ll ever fully retire.” He credits that dedication to the customers and the employees as the keys to their success. “That’s what I hear from everybody: This place is always just consistently good,” said Juan. “That was because of my dad going to work every day for however many hours was required.” (Original: 1924 De la Vina St., 687-2062; Downtown: 901 Chapala St., 965-1004; Goleta: 6831 Hollister Ave., 571-1517; Carpinteria: 865 Linden Ave., 684-6010; Ventura: 301 E. Main St., 643-7701; cajunkitchencafe.com)

By Paul Wellman

Good Cup server Beth Flett

The Upbeat Beans Service Award: Beth Flett @ Good Cup on the Mesa

Defusing customers’ pre-caffeine meanies with one of the most disarming smiles in Santa Barbara, Beth Flett has been serving up delicious espresso drinks in the same spot for so long that it had a different name (Mesa Coffee) when she started 13 years ago. She’s managed Good Cup for a decade and can train two newbies during a mid-morning rush without a flicker of impatience while keeping people waiting calmly due to sheer kindliness. “Along with being a lover of all things coffee, I have always been a morning person and really enjoy that I get to be a part of how people start their day,” says Flett. “We have the most amazing clientele at Good Cup, some of whom I have known for over a decade and who have gone from customers to lifelong friends. Old and new, our customers really make the place what it is. I love them!” (1819 Cliff Dr., 963-8699)

By Paul Wellman

McConnell’s Eva Ein and Michael Palmer

We All Scream for Ice Cream Award: McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream

While there may be no such thing as bad ice cream, some of the world’s most amazing is being made right here in Santa Barbara and has been for more than 60 years. “The responsibility we feel in carrying forward the legacy of this local, heritage brand provides for serious motivation,” explains McConnell’s co-owner Michael Palmer, who purchased the business from longtime owner Jack McCoy in 2011. It’s still headquartered in one of town’s original dairies off Milpas and uses only the finest milk and cream to make small batches with organic ingredients. “We’ll always offer a selection of the McC’s classics while we introduce seasonal flavors and limited-edition flavors throughout the year,” promises Palmer. That means Eureka lemon and marionberry as a brilliant burst of summer and some beer flavors on the horizon. There are two places to taste for yourself: the bustling flagship store on State Street or the longtime outpost on Mission Street, which is owned by a franchisee and also serves frozen yogurt. (Flagship: 728 State St., 324-4402, mcconnells.com; Franchise: 201 W. Mission St., 569-2323, mcconnellsonmission.com)

By Paul Wellman

The Lark

Funk Zone Epicenter Award: The Lark

The Funk Zone’s search for a center of gravity ended the August 2013 day that Sherry Villanueva and her hand-picked team opened The Lark on Anacapa Street. The expertly envisioned restaurant, which serves gourmet-minded food, family-style, in a sophisticated yet calmly casual setting, gave the emergent foodie ’hood the perfect place to chow down, and the seats have been packed ever since with diners of all ages and interests. “We’re still overwhelmed at the response, and it’s very humbling,” said Villanueva, who left a corporate marking gig to open her first eatery and develop the surrounding properties, which also include Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, the Lucky Penny Bistro, and more. “People were craving a creative dining experience with high-quality service in a fun place. We’re just now catching our breath.” Everyone else can keep trying to get a reservation. (131 Anacapa St., 284-0370; thelarksb.com)

By Paul Wellman

Tyler Peek (left) and Ryan Simorangkir

Haute Hipster Award: Sama Sama

You’re supposed to share plates at Sama Sama, which opened in March 2013, but try getting the gado gado market salad away from a delighted vegetarian, and you might have a fight on your hands. It’s that kind of spot, where each lovely dish presents flavors Santa Barbara didn’t seem to know before Sama Sama’s delicious take on Indonesian food ​— ​long may the place goreng (nasi goreng is the fried rice, mie goreng the fried noodles). Then there’s a top-flight cocktail program, too, tilted to match the Asian-spiced menu; talk about your unique sweet-sour with an Androgynous Fizz of hibiscus-infused bourbon, lemon, ginger simple syrup, egg whites, and cardamom bitters. There’s a vibe here from a town bigger than ours, all a refreshing bit of calming urbanity. “Although we recognize this title as tongue-in-cheek, we are glad that Santa Barbara sees us as more than just young kids in thrift-bought pattern shirts,” said general manager Michael Easbey. “We still strive to educate our guests in the serving style and ingredients so each might leave feeling passionate about great food and understand our way of eating.” (1208 State St., 965-4566, samasama­kitchen.com)

By Paul Wellman

(from left) Darinel Salazar, Julia Crookston, and Paige Michaels

Old Town’s New Classic Award: Goodland Kitchen & Market

“I lived in the post-punk/pre-hipster S.F./Mission Valencia district in the ’80s and Echo Park/Sunset Junction in the early ’90s,” said Julia Crookston, owner of Goleta’s Goodland Kitchen, which opened just off Hollister Avenue in 2011. “Old Town has that same early-days vibe.” That’s key to understanding how Crookston’s business functions, respecting its place yet pushing ever forward, operating as both a commercial kitchen-for-hire space used by foodie start-ups as well as a delicious breakfast/lunch spot. Crookston tips her toque to her staff, her supportive customers, and to the many regional growers, for the Goodland is farm-to-table without fanfare or fuss. Try the ever-rotating salads that make up the mezze plate, and definitely don’t miss the daily specials that often sell out, from chicken bánh mì sandwiches to cochinita pibil tostadas. (231 S. Magnolia Ave., Goleta, 845-4300, goodlandkitchen.com)

Milpas Moves Up Award: The Shop Café

It’s not just because of the Mac on Crack ​— ​elbow noodles with gorgonzola béchamel, bacon, crushed pecans, and diced apple ​— ​but it could be. This Milpas Street menu, full of well-sourced, perfectly executed breakfast/brunch/hangover recovery yumminess, is continually playful, with lots of “in yo face” items. “If you can get people to your door, you have to let them come and have fun,” says co-owner Dudley Michael, who opened in December 2012. “It’s about the food, but it’s also about giving people an experience that they will remember.” They will, for the wide-ranging menu ​— ​from buttermilk fried chicken to fish tacos to a salad wisely dubbed the Good Day Sunshine (mixed greens, kale, roasted potatoes, parsnips, feta cheese, blood orange, poached egg) ​— ​is comfort food for a farmers’ market age. Plus there’s lots of mighty fine coffee and good beer on tap. (730 N. Milpas St., 845-1696, shopcafesb.com)

By Paul Wellman

Alberto Battaglini

Worth the Drive Award: S.Y. Kitchen

The regular menu at this Santa Ynez hotspot is great, but prepare to be a very indecisive diner when you hear the specials. “Most of the time, the ingredients are extra seasonal,” says Verona-born chef Luca Crestanelli. “Every night there are eight, nine, 10 specials, and the waiters get mad at me, having to recite them all. You can see tables when they hear the specials; they look like, ‘Holy mother! So many specials.’” That’s what makes S.Y. Kitchen stand out in wine country, presenting Italian cooking with premium ingredients, matched with not just the surrounding wines but cocktails you might find in L.A. That makes sense, as owners Kathie and Mike Gordon ​— ​who opened S.Y. Kitchen in April 2013 ​— ​also operate Toscana and Bar Toscana in Brentwood. The food tends toward traditional, but very few of our grandmothers could whip up as good a wild mushroom pappardelle as Crestanelli. (1110 Faraday St., Santa Ynez, 691-9794, sykitchen.com)

By Paul Wellman

Toma chef Nat Ely (left) and owners Tom and Vicki Dolan

Coastline Creativity Award: Toma Restaurant & Bar

One of the toughest reservations in town since it opened in April 2013, Toma delivers the full fantastic experience: seasoned, skillful servers; charming ambience; and perfectly pleasing, Italian-focused food. “We set out to create an atmosphere where people felt comfortable, relaxed, and, most of all, appreciated for their patronage,” says co-owner Vicki Dolan. “Every one of the staff members has a true passion and love for the business of entertaining guests, friends, and family. We think people instantly sense this caring from the time they enter, and this — combined with our truly exceptionally talented culinary staff, with Chef Nat Ely at the helm consistently creating flavorful, savory, creative, fresh, seasonal cuisine — leaves people wanting to come back.” With dishes like its cioppino and black spaghetti, Toma defeats that old saw that the closer a restaurant is to the beach, the more it merely surfs on ocean views. (324 W. Cabrillo Blvd., 962-0777, tomarestaurant.com)

epicure.sb 2014

The Foodie Awards on Monday, September 29, 5:30 p.m., at the Wine Cask (813 Anacapa St.) is the unofficial kickoff party for epicure.sb 2014, the 31 days of food-focused events, prix fixe menus, hotel specials, and more that Visit Santa Barbara organizes throughout October. See epicuresb.com for the full rundown!

They have five very successful restaurants, and still have lines on weekends. They're doing something right!

What are the "any number of places that use fresh, real ingredients?"

Low priced restaurants (ie diners) only work because they use commercial bulk purchased ingredients. For "farm to table" quality, you either have to eat at home, or splurge on occasion at the Stone House.

Getting served coffee by bare-armed chicks with full arm tatts in tank tops is a turn-off for me. But that is just me. No thanks Good Cup. Agree, this is a very odd list. Some hits but a lot of misses. Who gives the Independent the most advertising dollars or staff comps is probably the next question.

Thankfully, most people only laugh at the predictably immature and depressingly spiteful comments of the sad, anonymous trolls who regularly taint our otherwise popular website with their almost always hateful, usually way-off-the-mark opinions. Come out of the shadows, you nameless, shameful fraidy-cats, or be forever filed in the digital dustbin of Santa Barbara history!

On a more explanatory note, these awards are the result of a nomination process that involves the entire staff and freelance network of The Santa Barbara Independent, as well as a couple dozen community members who are fans of our regional food scene. We strive to cover various aspects of the culinary community, from newer spots to older ones, with various cuisines and price points represented as well. It is a careful and considered process, like most everything we do at the paper, and we are extremely proud of this year's list.

We also do not repeat awards to the same establishments year after year, although certainly many restaurants that have been awarded in the past are worth celebrating again. (I just added links to the past award winners, though perhaps we should run a list in future editions.)

And, as has been our policy forever, advertising dollars has no bearing whatsoever on the selection process, although sales reps may reach out to winners once the editors determine the awardees.

....."although sales reps may reach out to winners once the editors determine the awardees". (?????? - did you have to add this Matt?)

Well folks, looks like the Independent will soon be pulling my comments and closing me down. I have been warned. It was a fun ride. I will miss the intellectual stimulation of shooting fish in a barrel.

Lars, McDonalds is the most popular restaurant in the country if not the world. Is their food quality and good? No.... Popularity is no indicator of quality. I dont mind if you eat there, just dont call it food for Foodies.

Matt, I read the title of this piece as "The Annual Foodie Awards". How the hell is Cajun Kitchen considered food for foodies? Might as well throw a Dennys' in there...they're both industrial food purveyors. And no respectable Foodie would eat at either... And please dont confuse yourself or the Indy with actual, real objective journalism. You're a infotainment writer. Not a journalist. At least not in this case... I like your writing, but this is not objective and certainly isnt representative of the fine quality that many restaurants produce in this town. Us Foodies know this and the reviews online represent the views of many, not just so-called "trolls"... a definition that seems to allude you.

The title of this piece sets the stage for actual, healthy, quality food but the content speaks otherwise... But for a paper that lists Starbucks among the best coffee house and always has Brophy Bros as the best seafood, its not a surprise. You guys wouldnt know good, quality food if it bit you and your poodle on your butts.

at last a bit of honesty from Jarvis2 when he self-identifies as a troll by writing "I have been warned". Duh. JJ2 gets his 'intellectual stimulation' by "shooting fish in a barrel" - this is what he thinks of most of us writing here. You're gross, dude.Gotta agree that the Cajun Kitchen serves very poor quality food. The mushrooms? From a can. Etc.

1) You were never threatened with being shut down Jarvis, so feel free to keep commenting. I and many others simply find your anonymous commentary spiteful and depressing, not particularly informative. It makes perfect sense why you hide behind a veil. Keep at it.

2) It felt proper to add the fact that sales reps do sometimes reach out to award winners. We do not hide the fact that we are a small business entity trying to make money and cut paychecks for 50+ Santa Barbara residents in a tough market and changing industry, but we also keep a solid wall between editorial decisions like this and the money-making side of the business. I figured that more transparency would be welcome.

3) Sam: Foodies come in all shapes, sizes, tastes, and budgets. I know many people, myself included, who enjoy both expensive dishes at upscale eateries and more affordable yet sometimes more memorable dishes from diner-cafes. One does not exclude the other and, in fact, many of what you seem to consider "foodie" elements are being copied straight from the menus of diners like the Cajun Kitchen, just gussied up with organic ingredients and sold for three times the price. It seems like you've missed the point of the whole foodie movement, which is inclusive, not exclusive. Thankfully it's also a happy and fun culture, not an angry and mean one.

4) As for your intentionally riling comments on my stature as a journalist, I can proudly point to my 15+ years of writing for the Independent on various topics, from hard news investigations to geopolitical pieces from the other side of the world to happily lighter fare like our food & wine section, as irrefutable evidence to the contrary. And then there are my years of freelance work for the NY Times, Time Magazine, Smithsonian, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Sunset, and a long list of other regional, national, and international publications.

If you are referring to the fact that we don't do food reviews, you are right. We don't have the budget for a proper food review process, which entails 2-3 clandestine visits to establishments before putting pen to paper. One visit to many eateries in town would cost more than we pay for the article itself, so the math doesn't work out. Hence, our food stories tend to be more restaurant profiles than critical reviews. Most people comprehend the difference, and both most certainly fit the basic definition of journalism.

5) Your comments about Starbucks and Brophy's refer to our Best of Santa Barbara issue. Those results are generated by readers, not by the paper's staff. Not sure why that's so confusing, though, for the record, I personally enjoy both Brophy's and, on occasion, Starbucks.

Hope that clears this all up. Now back to writing actual articles with my real name on them.

Matt, I enjoy your work. Its great. But let's just be on the same page. Most of what the Indy produces is fluff infotainment. On occasions (and I will be the first to back you up) you produce amazing work. Congrats for making that, but you have chosen lifestyle over substance which is why you're still here and not working for any daily or national / international new org. Right?

Foodie's tend to be ingredient conscious folks with a refined and mature palette. People to whom food is a reason to live, not a way to stay alive. No one can possibly eat the garbage they serve at Cajun and call that quality fare. Does it taste OK? Yes. Is it filling? Yes. Is it high quality carefully prepared fresh fare? Not a chance in hell...

So when I see a place like it mentioned in the "Foodie" awards while great chefs, cooks and kitchens are forgotten and/or left off the list... it just undermines everything you say the Independent and you stand for... objective, quality reporting. Maybe if you realized that prior to publishing you might be better received or at least regarded. But to those of us who love food, who enjoy eating and supporting the best and the brightest, to see this place regarded is not only an insult, its exactly the type of fluff that undermines your paper's integrity. Capiche?

About 25 are various opinion pieces and columns representing a wide swath of viewpoints from the community at large, from liberal to conservative, neighborhood issues to national politics. Most of those can be seen here: http://www.independent.com/news/opinion/

Perhaps that is what you are calling "Fluff Infotainment"? If so, your basic arithmetic is off, as there are less of these items than our news reports.

But more to the point, this derisively labeled "fluff" includes interviews with visiting performers, critical reviews of the arts, profiles on athletes, musicians, and other interesting people, and coverage of the food & drink scene. Perhaps that is "fluff" to you, but to most of Santa Barbara, it is vital and, yes, hopefully entertaining information. Without such content, our publication would fail overnight.

When it comes to our news section, we do stand for objectivity as much as possible. When it comes to arts, living, sports, food, and even news-related cover features, we hope that our writers present their vast knowledge and subjective experiences in a way that is useful to our readers. Graciously, more than 200,000 people per week enjoy our efforts.

As for your other points, I think you are confusing the much more broad foodie movement (which totally digs on the occasional diner) with the much more focused, although usually bigger tab-related SLO Food movement. That's a very commendable movement, but just a slice of the overall picture.

I would also encourage you to check out the other awardees in years past. I am certain these other establishments you speak of have been awarded already. If not, tell us who we've missed, because we've hit most of the top performers over the past five years. Being vague is easy, so be specific.

As to your clueless assessment of my personal motivations, I remain at the Independent because it is one of the strongest regional newspapers and websites in the country, and I've consciously and repeatedly chosen the Santa Barbara lifestyle over corporate ladder climbing in bigger cities. As well, it is one of the few publications that supports the freelance efforts of their staff, so my work for national publications continues every day, all here from S.B. Pretty ideal setup, if you ask me.

Mr. Ketteman: I would respectfully submit to you that perhaps you are not qualified to interact with some of the bloggers on this site with the expectation of success as your job is that of a journalist.

Per dealing with these trolls, that goal would be better achieved by a proctologist.

I also felt this whole piece was just...off. The Indy and many of its blog commentators exhibit a fair degree of racism, though they'd be the first ones to hotly deny it, mostly because they're completely unconscious that they do it. To wit: the Shop Cafe, with its hip white owners and white clientele are considered a "move up" for Milpas by the Indy. Milpas hosts some of the best Mexican and Asian eateries in the city. Several have received fawning reviews by national media. The Shop is certainly an excellent addition, and brings welcome new flavor to the street - agreed. You could have acknowledged that with 'hot newcomer' status, or 'hip, cool diner concept takes off on the Eastside', etc. But the 'Milpas Moves Up" award title indicates that more white hipster joints would be an improvement to the neighborhood, in the Indy's view. I think it was fairly unconscious on your part....but dude, seriously poor framing.

Hmm, except that the name of our lifetime achievement award is The Izzy, named after the founder of La Super Rica on Milpas, who we honored in our first edition of these awards.

We really don't mind legitimate criticism, but a slight bit of research and historical perspective would be appreciated. And using one's real name is always welcome. We use ours every day.

As for being a bunch of racists, we should at least get some credit for being open-minded in our prejudicial ways, as this year's list features establishments with Middle Eastern, Asian, and multiple Latino owners. It's probably our most multicultural collection yet, thanks to an increasingly vibrant Santa Barbara community that we are proud to showcase.

@Matt Ketteman: What *does* The Independent mean by "Milpas Moves Up"? It *does* come across as elitist.

For what it's worth, I haven't been to Milpas St. for a number of years but I liked the fact that (at least then) it still had some of that Old Town flavor and wasn't a Yuppie's architectural nightmare.

It's primarily just a fun name for an award to honor a cool restaurant, so people are reading into it way, way deeper than it was intended.

But it implies that now there is a place on Milpas to find creative dishes that cross typical cuisine boundaries (there's certainly Asian and Mexican influence in the menu, plus Southern and Californian food, etc.) as well as a spot to find craft beer, decent wine, and an artisan vibe.

In no way does that discount any of the other great places on Milpas, some of which we have awarded in the past. We are just trying to shed light on one place doing things a bit differently for that particular neighborhood. Simple as that.

The winners seem reasonable to me. Currently the Shop Cafe, which I've only been to a couple times, is the only coffee shop on Milpas.

The folks who live near Milpas are white and hispanic, so there's certainly no reason every restaurant on Milpas should be a Mexican one. Certainly the most popular spots on the strip, Super Rica and Los Agauves, both attract largely whites (lots of tourists) anyways.

Personally, I wish there were more quality Asian restuarants (Korean, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.) in Santa Barbara. A really good/healthy falafel shop would be a great addition too.

Lars, Jack's Bistro is a coffee shop on Milpas. Every restaurant is NOT Mexican. There are 4 Asian-owned restaurants, and one Middle Easterner, along with several regular American spots. The neighborhood is diverse and vibrant. So what's with calling a hipster cafe owned by whites a 'move UP for Milpas'?

It's primarily just a fun name for an award to honor a cool restaurant, so people are reading into it way, way deeper than it was intended.

Matt (Matt Kettmann)September 26, 2014 at 6:49 a.m.

Its part of the commie liberal plot your magazine supports. Look at you, your posts show up in GREEN, Green is the color associated with environmentalists, and they are very radical leftys. Then you have Lars, which is a Danish name, talking about Chiniese restaurants. Denmark is very UBer left, socialist to be sure, so Lars is just part of a Danish cell in order to corrupt America. China is a communist country and they are taking over by seducing us with their food.

Considering however, how good Chinese food is, I think I agree with the saying "better Red than dead".

I agree with dogsnsand that this entire article was racist. Not one mention of Canadian food. Not one! No Hawaiian food. Not a single African American born in Texas was featured. I pretty much think y'all get the point.Shame on you Indy.